Jack Irish: Australian Crime TV Movies on Hulu

I have a soft spot for old episodes of “Rockford Files” (currently streamable on Netflix) with the late, great James Garner. Maybe it’s the 70’s fashion, the jaunty jazz-inflected score or the great cast of character actors such as Noah Beery Jr. as Rockford’s father,
Stuart Margolin as shady pal Angel, or Sergeant Dennis Becker played by Joe Santos.

Imagine my surprise upon finding a current Australian show that has the same type of charming, rough and tumble star in Guy Pearce playing “Jack Irish,” a former criminal lawyer currently dabbling in private investigation, debt collection, horse-race gambling and woodwork. He also likes to listen to classical music and hang out at the local pub where the elderly barflies watch old sporting matches on videocassettes.

“Jack Irish” is technically not a series, but three tele-movies, “Bad Debts” and “Black Tide” being available for streaming on Hulu. “Dead Point,” the already-finished third movie based on another Peter Temple crime novel does not appear to be available at this point. Producer Ian Collie also has plans to adapt a fourth novel, “White Dog.” Back to “Rockford” episodes until Aussie “Jack Irish” makes another appearance.